1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Durant isn't a superstar just yet

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by TheGreat, May 13, 2011.

  1. TheFreak

    TheFreak Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 1999
    Messages:
    18,305
    Likes Received:
    3,317
    Stunning ignorance on a Houston Rockets board.
     
  2. clippy

    clippy Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2002
    Messages:
    4,869
    Likes Received:
    124
    Who did more with less? Honestly, look at that team LeBron took to the Finals. It is as bad as the current Cavs team.
     
  3. Soybean Fanatic

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2002
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    8
    Of course the Cavs' dropoff can be attributed to to Lebron - but partly in a different way than a lot of people think. Not only are they missing his contributions on the court, his departure also forced them into rebuild mode.

    This year's Cavs team was a team on a mission... a mission to tank.

    And they came through in a big way and ultimately succeeded, as we can see now.

    If anybody thinks Lebrons value as a player is as big as dropoff in the Cavs' wins, they're deluding themselves.
     
  4. clippy

    clippy Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2002
    Messages:
    4,869
    Likes Received:
    124
    The Cavs weren't trying to tank this year (except possibly at the very end). They were just that bad. They'll be pretty bad next year too. Hopefully the picks will help out and they'll be back in the playoffs in a few years.
     
  5. Qball

    Qball Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2001
    Messages:
    4,151
    Likes Received:
    210
    That was Akeem, not Hakeem :p
     
  6. Soybean Fanatic

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2002
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    8
    Don't think so. Without Bron, they weren't going to go anywhere, that much was clear. So be best thing they could do was to tank quick and hard for a few years and hope that they'll pick up a few players that will help them become at least semi-relevant again.

    Not tanking would've been stupid from their POV.
     
  7. LongTimeFan

    LongTimeFan Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2001
    Messages:
    7,757
    Likes Received:
    963
    What is the difference between being a bad team and tanking?
     
  8. Soybean Fanatic

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2002
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    8
    It's the difference between trying to win games and not trying to win games.
     
  9. clippy

    clippy Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2002
    Messages:
    4,869
    Likes Received:
    124
    When did this alleged tanking begin? Because I saw the Cavs play hell of a games against both the Clippers & Lakers in late Feb.
     
  10. SuperMarioBro

    SuperMarioBro Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2006
    Messages:
    3,852
    Likes Received:
    1,533
    Every player, no matter how good, has some holes in their game. No one should be expected to do everything.

    What's funny is that almost everything in the OP could describe someone like Dirk, too. And yet Durant is an even better scorer (and better defender) than Dirk. I don't think many would argue that Dirk is a superstar...

    Durant is a top five player. Period.
     
  11. LongTimeFan

    LongTimeFan Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2001
    Messages:
    7,757
    Likes Received:
    963
    ...and you really think a team full of professional athletes and coaches would not try to win a game?
     
  12. clippy

    clippy Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2002
    Messages:
    4,869
    Likes Received:
    124
    Usually the way teams tank is by unnecessarily sitting out players (since every player has minor knick knacks they can use as excuses). The Cavs may have done this with Davis etc. However, they were most certainly trying to win games with the players they had on the floor. They just aren't that good.
     
  13. GreatOne1978

    GreatOne1978 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2010
    Messages:
    2,874
    Likes Received:
    435
    Durant isn't a superstar...he's a manufactured superstar.

    <iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tYzznhIZBzY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
  14. Soybean Fanatic

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2002
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    8
    Absolutely, if they think it benefits them. Why do you think the draft lottery was introduced in the first place?


    Oh, and btw. Durant absolutely IS a superstar. You may not like the way he looks, plays, whatever, but it's silly to argue he's not one of the league's absolute top players.
     
  15. LongTimeFan

    LongTimeFan Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2001
    Messages:
    7,757
    Likes Received:
    963
    The lottery was invented to give teams less of an incentive to lose games. No professional athlete or coach is going to purposely lose games. It will never happen. On the alternative, teams often sit players who are healthy enough to play if the team has nothing left to play for. The Magic did this with McGrady the year before he was traded.

    The point is: even if you forced Rick Adelman to play without Kevin Martin for the entire year, the Rockets players would still be trying to win every game. "Tanking" in the form of coaches/players intentionally losing doesn't exist.

    You claimed Cleveland tanked -- I'd like to know how? You really think those players on that team wanted to suffer through the 20+ game losing streak and be the laughing stock of the league? Me neither. They didn't tank, they were just a bad team.

    The same Baron Davis that was sitting out games with knee injuries / general out-of-shapeness prior to his arrival at Cleveland? Is that related or was Cleveland really worried a past-his-prime Baron would lead them to more wins? I'd lean toward the former.
     
  16. Shaud

    Shaud Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2008
    Messages:
    18,350
    Likes Received:
    451
    Durant is a superstar don't think it is debatable at this point
     
  17. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2008
    Messages:
    26,614
    Likes Received:
    211
    durant is starting to flop way too much for my taste. he probably deserves half of his fts, if that.
     
  18. tinman

    tinman 999999999
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 1999
    Messages:
    104,456
    Likes Received:
    47,367
    He's a superstar.

    <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NjrEf9vVjLc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
  19. flamingdts

    flamingdts Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    Messages:
    11,630
    Likes Received:
    4,729
    That dunk is definitely going in the all time great dunks in playoff history.

    Congratulations Durant.
     
  20. sew

    sew Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2009
    Messages:
    3,406
    Likes Received:
    228

Share This Page